Succulent, seasoned chicken on a bed of root vegetables, slow roasted all day for a simple, flavorful, and fragrant weeknight meal.

One might think that because I don’t work outside the home that I’d have oodles of time in which to prepare elaborate meals on any given night of the week. And by “one,” I mean someone whom doesn’t homeschool four boys at the dining room table.;)

Our weeks are crazy-busy with just school and the most basic of household responsibilities. (Read: keeping everyone reasonably hygienic and wearing clean underwear.) Adding extra curricular activities to the mix only adds to the weeknight madness.

Trying to keep everyone well fed with real, nutritious food can be a real challenge in the midst of all the crazy around here.

For example, I coach Son #3’s soccer team, and Son #1 plays on two teams. This week we have (had) six games and one practice over the course of seven days. I’ve had one day off–yesterday–which happened to be the day that Bacon Slayer and I celebrated our 15th Wedding Anniversary.

We went out to dinner. Obviously.

That still means that I have or will be out running around on five days–which also means that I’ll be too exhausted to even think about cooking by the time I get home.

I’ve mentioned on numerous occasions that my crock pot has saved us from the Drive-Thru Line more times than I can count, and this week is no exception. I’m convinced that there is no better feeling in the world than driving past the nearest fast food establishment, knowing that dinner is waiting to welcome us home with it’s tantalizing aroma the moment we walk through the door after a busy day.

All that is required is a clean, whole chicken stuffed with such aromatics as shallots, garlic, and a bouquet of fresh herbs.

Then the whole affair is given a rub down with a simple blend of spices, tied, and placed ever-so-gently on a colorful bed of seasonal root vegetables. What’s even better is knowing that this delicious chicken dinner can be prepped and thrown in the slow cooker in a matter of minutes before dashing out the door.

I promise that it’s much more tasty than a store bought rotisserie chicken. And those suckers are good!

I let the slow cooker toil away all day long, roasting my chicken to tender, juicy perfection whilst I drive all over Northern Michigan in the name of soccer, fellowship, and family fun.

Slow Cooker Roasted Chicken and Root Vegetables is a luxurious weeknight dinner that comes together in a snap. My favorite part of this recipe is that it makes enough to feed my family of six, with enough leftover to make:

Chicken Pot Pie

or…Chicken a la King

and Homemade Chicken and Vegetable Stock

One recipe that yields several great meal options is always a winner in my book! Try it the next time you want to come home to a delicious, slow roasted dinner after a busy day.

1 small bouquet of fresh thyme, sage, rosemary, and parsley (3 to 5 sprigs of each, tied with butcher’s twine)

Additional butcher’s twine

For the Rub:

3 tsp. Kosher salt

1 tsp. smoked paprika

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. black pepper

½ tsp. garlic powder

½ tsp. onion powder

Spray the interior crock of a 6 quart slow cooker with olive oil. Prepare the root vegetables, and place them on the bottom of the prepared crock.

Rinse both the exterior and interior of the roasting chicken with cool water, being sure to check the neck or cavity for a “giblet pouch.” If a pouch is found, remove it and freeze to make stock at a later date. Pat the exterior of the rinsed chicken dry with a paper towel. Stuff the main cavity of the chicken with the garlic cloves, shallots, and fresh herb bouquet—these aromatics will serve to season the chicken from the inside, but will not be eaten.

Combine the kosher salt, smoked paprika, thyme, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder to form a rub. Rub the spices over the exterior of the chicken, pressing to adhere. Tie the legs together with butcher’s twine.

Place the chicken on top of the root vegetables in the crock. Cover and cook on the LOW heat setting for at 7 to 8 hours, or until chicken is done but not dry.

Remove the root vegetables with a slotted spoon, placing them on a serving platter. Carefully transfer the chicken to the serving platter, setting it atop of the root vegetables. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving it to serve.

OPTIONAL: To crisp the skin on the chicken before serving, broil the cooked chicken on a baking sheet for 3 to 4 minutes.

You know, I think it’s so easy to grill up the usual boneless skinless chicken breasts, that the idea of roasting a whole chicken just gets overlooked. I’m excited that you’re going to try the recipe, Eileen! I can’t wait to hear what you think. :)

I currently have this in the slow cooker and cannot wait to try it later! I have Celiac disease, so throwing even a small dinner party that satisfies everyone seemed like a bad idea. Couple that with my impossible work schedule, and it wasn’t gonna happen. Not anymore! People are coming tonight, we will be having your delicious chicken recipe, and I don’t have to worry about feeling bad tomorrow because I’m not cheating with the gluten free!

Gosh this looks good! I’m going to make it for dinner tomorrow, but I do have one question. At the end of the recipe do u add any water to prevent the chicken sticking to the crock? Or does the oil at the begining stop that?

Great question, Claire! In my experience, oiling the crock and the water released from the root vegetables during cooking is sufficient to keep the chicken from sticking to the crock. I hope that you enjoy the recipe!

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Welcome, Friends!

Family friendly recipes from scratch are the specialty of the house at Comfortably Domestic. Kirsten's goal is to keep her own personal Bacon Slayer, four sons, and YOU well fed while dishing up a little Real Life on the side.